Monday, July 25, 2016

In His "sermon on the mount," Jesus attempted to help His disciples understand how much their heavenly Father cared for them. He appealed to their experience of earthly fathers:

Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? (Matthew 7:9-10)

I appreciate, of course, the Lord's point, but verse 10 has always struck me as involving a false dichotomy. My own sons, who have always had a deep appreciation for all kinds of creatures, would usually rather catch a snake than a fish. This was confirmed in late May when they had the opportunity to visit their uncle (my brother) Dave in his stomping grounds in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Nathan caught both the Largemouth Bass and the Water Moccasin pictured below on the same day, but it was the snake with which he was most pleased.